A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for data communications on a packet switched network. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technology for controlling a phone terminal on a packet switched network, such as a LAN or the Internet, remotely from an information terminal.
B. Definition of Terms
In the present invention, the term “information terminal” refers to an apparatus that can communicate on a packet switched network regardless of whether or not the information terminal has phone terminal capabilities. Examples of an information terminal include, for instance, a PC (Personal Computer) or a workstation.
The term “communication” refers to audio data and/or visual data and the like. The aforementioned phone terminal capability includes data input and output, and transmission and reception of put and output media (i.e., multimedia) data on a packet switched network.
The term “phone terminal” refers to an apparatus having the aforementioned communication capability (i.e., a multimedia packet-switched phone). The phone terminal may be a dedicated terminal for communication, such as a LAN telephone, audio only telephone or an audio/visual telephone. Alternatively, the phone terminal may be an information terminal having a microphone and speaker (and camera) and corresponding hardware and/or software, such that the information terminal may serve as a phone terminal.
The term “state detection apparatus” broadly refers to an apparatus that detects the user state of a phone terminal. It includes, for example, an automatic message recording button provided on a phone terminal, for instance, telephone set having a message recording device. An additional example includes: an apparatus wherein the user state is detectable based on the operation state of the phone terminal; the activation state of a screen saver (if the phone terminal is an information terminal with phone terminal capabilities); the, input state with respect to an application currently operating on the phone terminal; information in a schedule database created by the user; and the like. The user state broadly includes the user's whereabouts, whether the user is busy, or using the phone terminal, for instance, currently engaged in a telephone conversation, and the like.
C. Description of Related Art
Various configurations have been proposed in the past to control a telephone set from another apparatus. One example to connected to a LAN via an additional apparatus. An exchange and a control apparatus control the telephone set. The control apparatus controls the exchange via the additional apparatus, and thereby, the telephone set is controlled.
Additionally, there is also a configuration wherein the exchange and telephone are connected via a modem. In this configuration, the modem is controlled from a control apparatus and, for example, an outgoing call is switched to the telephone by the control apparatus after a telephone call is originated. Alternatively, the control apparatus may receive an incoming call and serve as an answering machine, playing a voice message and recording a message from the calling party.
Furthermore, in another configuration, a built-in circuit board in a control apparatus (such as a personal computer) is used as a telephone, and the built-in telephone is controlled by an internal bus of the personal computer. This configuration enables the control of outgoing telephone calls, the reporting of the phone number of incoming calls, and the like. In addition, it also enables the control of voice recording during a telephone call and storing that recording as a file, sending that recording as mail, and the like.
In addition, configurations have also been implemented wherein an answering telephone is remotely controlled from a separate a control apparatus connected to an exchange. In this configuration, a command transmitted by the control apparatus causes the answering telephone to play recorded message, and the response message can be modified. Furthermore, since a connection between the exchange and telephone is used in this configuration to control the telephone, the placement of the control apparatus is highly flexible.
Problems the Invention Attempts to Solve
The configuration wherein a telephone is controlled via the aforementioned LAN communication apparatus and exchange has the following problems. Namely: (1) the load is concentrated in the LAN communication apparatus; (2) functions that can be controlled are limited by the functions of the exchange; (3) the equipment is expensive since a LAN communication apparatus is needed; and (4) the control target is limited to a telephone under the control of the exchange.
The configuration wherein the aforementioned telephone and control apparatus are connected by a modem has the following problems. Namely: (1) the system configuration is not very flexible since the telephone and control apparatus are connected by a physical cable; (2) there are numerous limitations on commands for controlling a modem; and (3) there are cases in which control runs into problems when attempting to control the modem during use of the telephone or when trying to control the telephone while controlling the modem.
The configuration wherein the telephone set is a circuit board built into a computer has the following problems. Namely: (1) the computer cannot be used as a telephone unless the power is turned on; and 2) even in a configuration that has a separate power supply for the built-in circuit board, the placement of the control apparatus and the telephone is not very flexible since control cannot be effected from another computer.
The configuration wherein an answering telephone is remote controlled has the following problems. Namely: (1) since the cable that connects the answering telephone with the exchange or PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) is used to control outgoing calls and incoming calls cannot be controlled while the answering telephone is controlled by the control apparatus. In addition, the telephone cannot be controlled from the control apparatus when the telephone is in use.
There has been a strong trend in recent years toward the integration of data networks and voice networks. This trend uses VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), which is based on a technology that sends and receives voice data over a packet switched network. To send and receive voice data on a packet switched network, the inventors conceive of equipping a computer with an audio circuit board, and using it as a telephone in combination with software.
However, a beginner might find it difficult to use a telephone operated by a software application on a computer. In addition, computers themselves are not sufficiently reliable. Unfortunately for the beginner, it is supposed that telephone-type terminals (hereinafter referred to simply as telephone sets) that are directly connected to a data network, namely a packet switched network, and that can send and receive voice data will be widely used in the future in place of conventional telephones connected to an exchange.